Property Of The Week

05.03.18

HOME WITH DECEPTIVE PROPORTIONS ON STREET MADE FAMOUS BY WILDE & WHISTLER HITS THE MARKET FOR £8.75 MILLION

Located on Tite Street, one of London’s most iconic streets and once the home of some of the world’s greatest artists, sits a home of spectacular proportions, behind a narrow façade. Measuring close to 4,500 sq. ft. the five-bedroom, four-storey townhouse, with spacious open-plan interiors provides the perfect family home in the heart of Old Chelsea, just a stone’s throw from the River Thames and green space of Chelsea Embankment Gardens, as well as the plethora of high-end boutiques on the King’s Road.

On the market for £8.75 million, with prime London estate agents Russell Simpson and Knight Frank, the home at number 20 Tite Street is just metres from the former home of legendary author and playwright, Oscar Wilde. The Irish wordsmith purchased number 16 (now 34) Tite Street in 1885, as his family residence, although he was known to spend a lot of his time occupying Room 118 of the Cadogan Hotel, Pont Street.

Shortly before Wilde purchased his permanent residence on Tite Street, he shared number 1 with artist Frank Miles (famed for his painting of a young Princess Victoria, as well as being a key suspect in the Jack the Ripper case), esteemed American artist James McNeill Whistler built his famous ‘White House’ on the street in 1877.

Purchasing a vacant piece of land, Whistler created his own strikingly modern home and studio, which wholly embodied his aesthetic values. However, he only enjoyed his home for two years, before having to sell it during a long legal battle with the leading English art critic of the time, John Ruskin.

The street has also been home to John Singer Sargent, the Florence-born American artist, considered by many as the leading portrait painter of his generation. He lived at number 31 in 1900, whilst he later expanded into 33 to create a magnificent light-filled studio. Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher, August John (famed for his 1919 portrait of Lawrence of Arabia) had his home there between 1940 and 1958.

Ironically for Oscar Wilde, Tite Street was also home to High Court Judge Alfred Wills, who presided over his high-profile case of engaging in an illegitimate affair with the son of the Marquess of Queensberry. Following a long trial, Judge Willis convicted Wilde of gross indecency and sentenced him to two years' hard labour.

The home at number 20 Tite Street, a historic red-brick Chelsea townhouse, with dormer windows looks slender from the outside, but hides voluminous floorplates, with long corridors inside, as well as a private off-street parking garage.

Spaced across four floors, the 4,476 sq. ft. property benefits from a modern basement extension, which provides a private gymnasium, wine cellar, plant room and utility quarters. On the ground floor is the kitchen/breakfast room, bathed in natural light through an expansive atrium. The reception room is at the front of the ground floor, whilst the entrance hall provides an abundance of storage space.

The master bedroom suite occupies the entire first floor, complete with walk-in dressing room, bathroom suite and private study. On the second floor is two guest bedroom suites, as well as two further bedrooms and a guest bathroom. From this floor a short staircase leads to a modest roof terrace.

Split by Royal Hospital Road, Tite Street stretches from Redburn Street to Chelsea Embankment. The Royal Hospital Chelsea is close by, whilst the King’s Road and Sloane Square (District & Circle Underground lines) are within short walking distance.

You may also like

GRAND VICTORIAN FAMILY HOME IN THE HEART OF BROOK GREEN Located in the heart of sought after Brook Green and less than 100m from the border of Kensington & Chelsea, this impressive Victorian townhouse offers proportions rarely seen in the…

With its superlative selection of detached homes – Chelsea has overtaken Knightsbridge as the location of choice for the super-rich. By James Matthews The beating heart of all that is stylish about London, Chelsea was once described as a ‘village…